TEN

Vida went to see her father before deciding to leave for the day; neither of them brought up the marriage topic because it had ended badly. She told him that she would see him tomorrow before she left the hospital. All through the ride back home, Vida kept thinking of Axel and how she was going to get out of the marriage. She knew that if she had to marry him because of money, the only way she could get out of that situation was to make sure that the company was not able to file for bankruptcy; that way she was saved.

She got into the house and went to her room. After changing out of her clothes and taking off her makeup, she called James. He was the only one who could help her with her plan. She had to find a way to get the financial status of the company and work from there; she was sure that there was a way to save the company from within, and the only reason her father was not doing it that way was because she was sick. She could not let her education go to waste like that.

"Ms. Van Allen, is there something you want me to do?" James asked after the pleasantries. She was not someone to just call him for no reason, and John had instructed him to see to it that he helped her in every way that he could.

"Yes, James, I need to be connected with someone in the financial team of the company. I am sure it is possible since I have some shares and my father is the chairman," she said.

James paused to think about it, and when he was about to tell her to go through Axel, she added as if she were reading his mind. "Everything we discuss on this call, I forbid you from telling Axel."

"Oh well," James said, taking a deep breath. He could not turn her away and he knew it was a waste to try and stop her. If he did, then all she would do would be to go behind his back and get it done. At least if he was involved, he could make sure she was safe no matter what happened.

"I think I can link you up with someone," he said, and she smiled. Her plan was already shaping up, and before tomorrow, she would have a concrete plan.

"Is that so? Then, set up a meeting; I would like to speak to them."

"I don't know if it is a good idea; if you asked me, then I would suggest that you first consult Mr. Manchester before you make any decisions."

"Then I guess that it is a good thing I did not ask you," she said simply. He understood what she meant, but she had to make sure of it. "I hope that you will keep to your word and not speak of a word of this to both Axel and my father."

"Yes ma'am"

They both finalised the details of the meeting before she got off the call. She looked at the time and knew that if she delayed, Maria would come get her in a few minutes for dinner. Maria was always on time with her dinner at five thirty pm sharp. She threw on an oversized hoodie before heading to the dining area.

"The storm you keep cooking makes me think that you are having extra guests over," Vida called to Maria as she sat at the table.

"It's been years since I last ate a meal with you and fed you; don't blame me if I want to see you eat a lot," Maria said, setting the last of the dishes on the table.

"I am going to gain a lot of weight," Vida announced to her.

"You can always exercise," Maria replied. She began piling rice onto her plate, and Vida began eating it. She could not deny it; she had missed having good home-cooked meals, especially the kinds that Maria made. "How is Mr. Van Allen? I am supposed to go see him, but he instructed me to stay home and make sure you have everything you need."

"Oh, he is doing better; the only problem is that he said some absurd things today." Vida knew that Maria was one person she could always confide in, especially at times like this.

"Absurd? What absurd?"

"He told me that he wanted me to get married to Axel Manchester," she said, looking at Maria's face. She had expected a shocked reaction from her, but her expression told her that she already knew. "You knew?" she asked.

"Well, he told me his plans."

"And you let him carry on?"

"I think it would be nice if..."

"Everyone around here is bewitched," she screamed as she stood up. "That is the only explanation for this behaviour," she said as she took up a cup and chugged the water down, watering down the food chunks in her mouth. She walked away before Maria could say anything. She was even angrier than she felt when she had left the hospital in the morning.